Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico

Zuni Pueblo (Zuni: Shiwinna, also Zuñi Pueblo and Pueblo de Zuñi) is a census-designated place (CDP) in McKinley County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 6,302 as of the 2010 Census.[1] It is inhabited largely by members of the Zuni people.

The first contact with Europeans occurred in 1539 in the ancient village of Hawikku when Esteban, an Arab/Berber of Moroccan origin, entered Zuni territory seeking the fabled "Seven Cities of Cibola."[2]

As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 6,367 people, 1,488 households, and 1,334 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 720.0 people per square mile (278.1/km²). There were 1,622 housing units at an average density of 183.4 per square mile (70.8/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 97.03% Native American, 2.12% White, 2.01% Hispanic or Latino, 0.03% African American, 0.03% Asian, 0.30% from other races, and 0.49% from two or more races.

Tularosa, New Mexico

Tularosa is a village[2] in Otero County, New Mexico, United States. It shares its name with the Tularosa Basin, in which the town is located. To the east, Tularosa is flanked by the western edge of the Sacramento Mountains. The population was 2,842 at the 2010 census. During the 1990s and early 2000s, the town, north of the much larger Alamogordo, experienced moderate growth and construction as a bedroom community, especially in the housing industry. Tularosa is noted for its abundance of cottonwood shade trees and its efforts to preserve the adobe-style architecture of its past.[3]

Tularosa gets its name from the Spanish description for the red or rose colored reeds growing along the banks of the Rio Tularosa. The Rio Tularosa, which still exists along the north side of the village, attracted the original settlers as a water source in the desert. Settlers attempted to establish a settlement in 1860 but were unsuccessful due to Apache raids. Two years later, after a battle at nearby Round Mountain, Hispanic farmers from the Rio Grande valley succeeded in settling the area. The Mission Church, St Francis de Paula was built to honor a promise made to St Francis that if no one was killed in the battle at Round Mountain, the townspeople would build a church dedicated to him. In 1863, the Town of Tularosa was formally established and was mapped with 49 blocks and water rights distributed and recorded.

The original acequia (ditch irrigation system) remains virtually unchanged and provides the water for the trees lining the streets, private gardens, and landscaping that give Tularosa its unique character.

McKinley County, New Mexico

McKinley County is a county in the northwestern section of the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2010 census, the population was 71,492.[1] Its county seat is Gallup.[2] The county was created in 1901 and named for President William McKinley.[3]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 5,455 square miles (14,130 km2), of which 5,450 square miles (14,100 km2) is land and 5.5 square miles (14 km2) (0.1%) is water.[4]

As of the 2000 census,[10] there were 74,798 people, 21,476 households, and 16,686 families residing in the county. The population density was 14 people per square mile (5/km²). There were 26,718 housing units at an average density of 5 per square mile (2/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 74.72% Native American, 16.39% White, 0.46% Asian, 0.40% Black or African American, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 5.47% from other races, and 2.52% from two or more races. 12.40% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Vaughn, New Mexico

Vaughn is a town in Guadalupe County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 446 at the 2010 census,[2] down from 539 at the 2000 census. It is located at an intersection of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Union Pacific railroad lines.

Vaughn was established in the early 20th century as a Southern Pacific Railroad town. The town's importance grew when a second railroad, the Eastern Railway of New Mexico (an Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe line from Belen to Clovis), was completed in 1907 with Vaughn as a division point. A large two-story depot, a roundhouse, and a Harvey House hotel were constructed shortly thereafter. Vaughn was incorporated in 1919 and in 1920 had a population of 888, according to the U.S. census.

The Guadalupe County Sheriff's Department, New Mexico Rangers,[3] the New Mexico State Police and Motor Transportation Police and the Vaughn Police Department[4] (presently a one-man agency) all patrol the town, which, according to the United States Homeland Security, is a known drug-smuggling route.

Raven Villanueva

Villanueva played as Cris in T.G.I.S. (Thank God It's Sabado), youth-oriented drama series aired on GMA Network from 1995 to 1997, together with Angelu de Leon, Bobby Andrews, Onemig Bondoc, Ciara Sotto, among others, and continued sequel Growing Up from 1997 to 1999. She did movie with Rica Peralejo and Mark Anthony Fernandez in Erik Matti's Dos Ekis (2001) under Viva Films.

Waterflow, New Mexico

Waterflow is an unincorporated community in San Juan County, New Mexico, United States on the north side of the San Juan River. It is immediately west of Fruitland and north across the river from the Navajo Nation. It is east of Shiprock.[1]

The area now known as Waterflow is traditional Navajo territory. This place was called Chʼį́įdii Łichííʼ (Red Devil) in reference to Walter Stallings who operated a trading post in the area;[3] nowadays, Tséyaa Akʼahí (beneath-rock oil) seems to be another designation in reference to the nearby oil fields, as can be seen on billboards in the area (pictured).

The early Anglo settlers in this area named the place "Jewett Valley", and established Jewett Valley Cemetery as early as 1886. Although some reports say these pioneers were predominantly Catholic, one of the earliest families to be buried in this cemetery, the Hunts, have long been LDS.[4]

Watrous (La Junta)

Watrous, also named La Junta, is a National Historic Landmark District near Watrous, New Mexico. It encompasses the historic junction point of the two major branches of the Santa Fe Trail, a major 19th-century frontier settlement route between St. Louis, Missouri and Santa Fe, New Mexico. La Junta, marked this junction point, as well as the first major indications of civilization before westbound travelers reached Santa Fe. The district includes a large area west of the modern community of Watrous, encompassing the confluence of the Mora and Sapello Rivers. Surviving buildings include the houses of early ranchers, as well as a stagecoach mailstop and inn. The district was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1963.[2][3]

The Santa Fe Trail was one of the major routes by which the American West was settled. It had two major branches: the Mountain Branch, which skirted north of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and crossed southward at Raton Pass, and the Cimarron Cutoff, which ran a more direct route south of mountains but across desert that was also populated by hostile Native Americans. These two routes came together to the west of the confluence of the Mora and Sapello Rivers, which is just north of present-day Watrous. The Santa Fe Trail remained in use until the 1870s, when it was supplanted by Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, whose route roughly follows the Cimarron Cutoff route. The railroad established the present-day community of Watrous east of the trail junction, after which the small community there was largely abandoned.[3]

The community at the trail junction was known as La Junta ("the junction" in Spanish), Tiptonville, or Watrous, the latter two based on the names of two early ranchers in the area, Samuel Watrous and William Tipton. There are 21 surviving structures or foundational remains in the district, most of which were built before 1870. Important surviving structures include the ranch house and store of Samuel Watrous (now on the Watrous Valley Ranch), a similar building belonging to William Tipton, and the rancho house of William Koenig. The Koenig House, built in the 1860s on what is now known as the Phoenix Ranch, is one of the state's finest examples of Territorial architecture. There are also three small cemeteries, and the remains of three structures associated with a horse corral managed by Fort Union.[3]

Moriarty, New Mexico

The Albuquerque Soaring Club (ASC), established in 1960 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is currently headquartered at the Moriarty Municipal Airport. Moriarty boasts some of the finest year round soaring conditions in the United States, including 15 knot thermals to 22,000 ft, mountain wave to 34,000 ft, and orographic lift off the Manzano, Sandia, Ortiz, and Sangre de Cristo mountain ranges. Many flights in excess of 300 miles are recorded each year. Many pilots have achieved all of their soaring diamonds out of Moriarty. Moriarty airport is also home to the United States Southwest Soaring Museum, and has a commercial glider operation, Sundance Aviation.[4]

Moriarty also serves as a fireworks Mecca for the Albuquerque metropolitan area with two year around stores as well as at least two other large tents which set up for the sixteen-day selling period allowed by New Mexico State Law from June 20 to July 6. Vendors sell both Black Cat and TNT brand fireworks. All vendors are located along old Route 66 and competition is always fierce. Almost all Class C fireworks are allowed for sale and use in Moriarty including firecrackers, mortars, Roman candles, and cakes up to 500 grams (the maximum allowance), and though pop rockets have been banned throughout New Mexico for the last three years, larger stick rockets are still allowed.

As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 1,765 people, 668 households, and 478 families residing in the city. The population density was 368.2 people per square mile (142.3/km²). There were 775 housing units at an average density of 161.7 per square mile (62.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 73.54% White, 0.62% African American, 2.49% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 18.75% from other races, and 4.25% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 40.79% of the population.

Rincon, New Mexico

Rincon is a census-designated place (CDP) in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the CDP population was 271. It is part of the Las Cruces Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Rincon is located at 32°40′21″N 107°3′58″W / 32.67250°N 107.06611°W / 32.67250; -107.06611 (32.672457, -107.066132),[1] adjacent to Hatch, New Mexico in the valley of the Rio Grande.

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 220 people, 60 households, and 55 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 213.6 people per square mile (82.5/km²). There were 65 housing units at an average density of 63.1 per square mile (24.4/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 45.00% White, 2.73% Native American, 51.82% from other races, and 0.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 87.27% of the population.

Sunspot, New Mexico

Sunspot, home of the Sunspot Solar Observatory, is an unincorporated community in the Sacramento Mountains in Otero County, New Mexico, United States. It is located within the Lincoln National Forest, 18 miles south of Cloudcroft. Its elevation is 9200 feet. The nearest gas stations, grocery stores, or restaurants are in Cloudcroft.[1]

It was named after the presence of the National Solar Observatory on Sacramento Peak, in a vote that was allegedly rigged by the observatory's director John Evans.[2] The road leading to Sunspot from Cloudcroft is New Mexico State Road 6563, named for the brightest wavelength of hydrogen emission, H-alpha. This scenic byway features signposts marking the relative locations of the planets from the sun in proportion to their distance to Sunspot.

The telescope is open to the public, and the visitors center offers guided tours of the site on Saturdays and Sundays. On other days there is a self guided 1/2 mile trail around the telescope and White Sands overlook